After a 10-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by an asylum seeker in southwest Dublin, more than a thousand protestors clashed fiercely with fully armed riot police outside a hotel housing asylum seekers on the 21st.
According to Irish media reports, the 26-year-old man accused of assaulting the girl is an asylum seeker. The incident occurred at the Ibis Hotel in southwest Dublin, which provides accommodation for asylum seekers.
The protestors waved Irish flags, held banners reading "Irish Lives Matter," chanted "Get Them Out," and threw bottles and fireworks at the police.
According to an AFP reporter, police rushed at the crowd and used pepper spray to try to drive them away from the hotel area. During the chaos, a police car was set on fire.
The suspect appeared in court on the 21st and has been charged with offenses related to sexual assault. The incident reportedly happened near the hotel.
According to related reports, the victimized girl was under state care at the time of the incident. Ireland’s Child and Family Agency (Tusla), which is responsible for child welfare, confirmed the girl had left her group while heading to the city center and was then reported missing.